Coin weight tester



March 6, 1945. A MC 2,370,869

COIN WEIGHT TESTER Filed Jan. 30, 1943 Inventor 2O 24 22 Awe)??? M /I2 9 Patented Mar. 6, 1945 com WEIGHT TESTER Albert R. McKay, Portland mg. Application January 30, 1943, Serial No. 474, 153 f; 2 Claims. (01. 194-103) This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in weight testers, especially for coin controlled vending or dispensing machines,

such as that illustrated. and described in' my United States Patent No. 2,297,360, issued September 29, 1942, and has for its principal object to provide gravity actuated means of a novel construction and arrangement for preventing operation of the machine by the insertion of coins or slugs of the wrong denomination or weight.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a Weight tester of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact, and which maybe manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and'wherein:

Figure l is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the device, taken substantially on the line I-I of Figure 2. v

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be observed that reference numeral I designates a casing having a vertical coin slot 2 therein.-

Mounted horizontallyin'the casing I is a substantially U-shaped guide 3 for the reception of coins from the slot 2.

Mounted transversely in the casing I, below the horizontal plane of the guide 3, is a. shaft 5. A bar Ii is mounted, at an intermediate point, on the shaft -5, said bar being rockable in a vertical plane. A weight 1 is adjustably mounted on one end portion of the bar 6.

On its other end, the bar 6 comprises a frame 8. The frame 8 is vertically aligned with the guide 3 for the reception of coins therefrom. Depending from the frame 8 is a plurality of guide fingers 9. One of the guide fingers 9 includes a hinged lower end portion I 0. Mounted on the.

stationary upper portion of this one guide finger Bis a dash pot II.

The dash pot I I includes a vertical cylinder I2" fluid thereto through a port I4. A closure I5 is provided for the chamber I3.

vThe dash pot l-I further includes a hanger I6 which depend f om the cylinder I2. A bell crank lever I'Iispivotallymountedon-the hanger I6. Arod l8 conn ectsone endof the bell crank lever I! to the free end of the hinged portion II] of the adjacent finger 9 for actuation thereby. A piston I9, operable in the cylinder I2, is connected to the other end of the bell crank lever I'I.

' A rejector 220 in the form of a horizontal cylinder having an opening 25 in its lower portion is journaled for rocking movement in a vertical plane-on supports 2I in the casing I below the fingers 9. The rejector 20 has formed in its upper portion a slot22 for vertical alignment with the fingers 9 for the passage of coins of the correct weight therefrom. A rod 23 connects the rockable rejector 21} to the bar 6 for actuation thereby. Return troughs or chutes 24 are mounted in the casing I adjacent opposite sides of the rejector 26 for receiving overweight or underweight coins and slugs. I

In operation, the coin drops by gravity between the guide fingers 9 from the guide 3. The coin is temporarily arrested by the hinged finger portion It and balances the bar 6. When the bar 6 is thus actuated, the rod 2-3 rocks the rejector 20. Under the weight of the coin, the hinged finger portion Ill is slowly swung to releasing position under the control of the dash pot II. If the coin is of the correct weight, the rejector 20 will be rotated to position the slot 22 beneath the fingers 9 for the passage of the coin therefrom when said coin is released. The coin leaves the rejector 20 through the opening 25 in said rejector. However, if the coin is underweight or overweight, the slot 22 will not be brought to a position in vertical alignment therewith. That is, the rockable rejector 2% will stop at a position where the slot 22 will be short of vertical alignment with the coin or said slot will be moved past vertical alignment. Thus, the underweight or overweight coin strikes the rejector 20 and is deflected thereby into one of the return troughs or chutes 24 down which it rolls by gravity through a discharge opening provided therefor in the front wall of the casing. 7 It will thus be seen that underweight or overweight coins or slugs are prevented from reaching the control mechanism of the machine.

It is believed that the many advantages of a Weight tester constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and

is a illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin weight-tester of the character described comprising a balance bar, a weight on one end portion of the balance bar, guide fingers for the reception of a, coin on the other end portion of the balance bar, one of said guide fin ers including a hinged portion for retaining th coin, a rejector rotatably mounted beneath the guide fingers, said reiector having a slot therein for the passage of the coin from the fingers, a rod connecting the rejector to the balance bar for actuation thereby to aline the slot with the coin when the latter is of predetermined weight, a dash pot controlling the hinged finger portion for retaining the coin while the slot is are rejected by reason of failure of the slot to align with the same.

2. A coin weight tester of the character described comprising a balance bar, a weight on one end portion of said balance bar, means on the other end portion of the balance bar for receiving and retaining a coin until released, said means including a member operable by the Weight of the coin for releasing the coin, a rejector of substantially segmental cross section mounted for rocking movement in a vertical plane beneath said means, said rejector having a slot therein for the passage of the coin when it is released by said means, a rod operatively connecting the rejector to the balance bar for actuation thereby for vertically alining the slot with the coin when the latter is of predetermined weight, a dash pot connected to the member for controlling the speed of operation of the coin releasing member, and return chutes adjacent opposite side of the rejector for receiving coins of greater or lesser than said predetermined weight which are rejected by reason of failure of the slot to align with the same.

ALBERT R. McKAY. 

